Beveled Fiber Probe for Improving Spectroscopic Signal Sensing from Bowel Mucosa Tissue

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Diagnostics
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a major global health concern, with diagnosis relying on endoscopy and histopathology.
• Current diagnostic methods have limitations in detecting early-stage cancers and require time-consuming procedures.
• Fiber fluorescence spectroscopy presents a promising alternative for rapid, in vivo or ex vivo cancer detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an improved optical fiber probe configuration for enhanced fiber fluorescence spectroscopy.
• To increase the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity for gastrointestinal cancers.
• To provide a more efficient tool for early cancer detection and clinical decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Designed and fabricated an optical fiber probe with a beveled tip and specific fiber positioning.
• Experimentally compared the signal sensing efficiency of the proposed probe with standard probes.
• Evaluated the probe's performance using excised human colon tissues.

Main Results:

• The proposed optical fiber probe design demonstrated a significant increase in spectroscopic signal sensing.
• The novel probe configuration was notably more efficient in collecting fluorescent signals compared to standard probes.
• The findings indicate a potential improvement in the accuracy of fiber fluorescence spectroscopy for GI cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• The developed optical fiber probe configuration enhances fluorescence signal collection for GI cancer diagnostics.
• This advancement may lead to more precise, real-time, noninvasive early diagnosis of GI cancers.
• The study suggests a potential for improved ex vivo histopathological standardization and enhanced in vivo endoscopic diagnostics.